The former New Mexico governor this week took his case for inclusion in the presidential debates to U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Johnsons presidential campaign filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the Commission on Presidential Debates is colluding with the Republican and Democratic parties to prevent third-party candidates from participating.

Its antitrust. Were being excluded by a private organization, and it is fundamentally unfair, Johnson told the Journal on Friday.

The first presidential debate is Wednesday. Two more debates are scheduled for Oct. 16 and Oct. 22.

Johnson would appear to meet all of the debate commissions criteria for inclusion except for one: 15 percent support in national polls. The commissions web site says that to be invited to participate, a candidate must receive at least 15 percent of the national electorate as determined by five selected national public opinion polling organizations.

Johnson sa id Friday that the standard is unfair because he hasnt been included in most major polls, although he will be on the presidential ballot in at least 47 states, including New Mexico.

WASHINGTON  Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party nominee for president, knew that running for the White House wouldnt be easy.

But he didnt know it would be this difficult, either.

I naively thought this was going to be a fair process  the same process I encountered in New Mexico, where I got a fair shake, the former two-term New Mexico governor said in a Journal interview. Running for president of the United States? Its a club and I didnt belong.

Johnson, 59, initially sought the Republican presidential nomination, but he was not invited to participate in most televised primary debates. It hurt not only his ability to get his message heard, but also his fundraising.

The fiscally conservative and socially liberal Johnson abandoned his Republican presidential bid in late December 2011 and sought the Libertarian Party nomination instead. He secured that nomination in May and is currently on the ballot in 47 states, including New Mexico.

Johnson said he is running for president to slash federal spending, restore civil liberties he says are eroding and bring American troops home from foreign wars.

More at the link.

9
posted on 09/30/2012 7:06:30 PM PDT
by CedarDave
(Presstitutes: Journalists who refuse to ask hard questions and who report by omission or distortion)

Which is why we will never have a decent candidate. The decent ones never get to participate totally. What is Obama and Romney afraid of. Scared that perhaps this guy or Virgil Goode might be impressive enough at the debates that they win? That is the only reason that they are banned. I would rather have all candidates participate in the debates especially since the Republican Party is going more and more liberal and a Tea Party or some conservative candidate in the future may be needed....actually needed now but for now we will take liberal Romney.

If he was excluded by a ‘private organization’ where /how does he think/believe he has any call on participating? It seems to me he should have found his own forum for a debate if he could get the other two to participate. It also seems to me that he is kind of an odd fellow.

Getting the nomination of a major Party is important. If you cant get that? You do not deserve the time or attention of anyone.

Hm, interesting stance. It does beg several questions though. First, what qualifies as "major party"? Only Democrat and Republican, or would Constitution or Libertarian count? Second, given that the Democratic party is openly approving of selfishly murderous policies (abortion) and the Republican party is even worse* (they claim to be against it, but when was the last time they even put forward a token push in congress? Never, to my knowledge, in my political lifetime.) why should such "major party" nominations count for terribly much?

* Similar can be said for 2nd Amendment (WRT GCA/NFA), Government Size (when was the last time a government agency was disbanded and its employees/functions not rolled into another agency?), Government Accountability (Fast & Furious was an unauthorized act of warand, by definition, State Sponsored Terrorism), Fiscal Responsibility (see government size), the 4th/5th/6th/7th/8th/9th/10th Amendments (when was the last time a significant proposal to drop the War on Drugs, the single most destructive set of policies [ie mindset] to rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights)?

17
posted on 09/30/2012 8:24:55 PM PDT
by OneWingedShark
(Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)

Actually, I would like to see them all on one stage. It would soon become apparent that Romney is the only thoughtful adult there. Imagine the Green and Communist candidates parroting Pres. Obama. Imagine the others trying to make themselves sound electable.

19
posted on 09/30/2012 9:33:03 PM PDT
by VanShuyten
("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")

He doesn’t have support and he is whining ( as libertarians seem to want to do) that the rules are unfair. IF anyone were going to vote for this guy they would have done so in the primaries. Now the losing whiner wants things to be different because he is somehow special

Hey if your libertarian buddies would vote in primaries rather than holding their special convention then maybe something would change. Your party is a joke the same way that the communist party USA is a joke and the american independent party is a joke and the green party is a joke

he wanted in - he should’ve gotten into the primaries - that’s where ‘all on one stage’ scenario comes in.

Why should someone who hasn’t fought the fight just be allowed to slide in at the last minute - where he can spout lots of great sounding stuff - without time left for fact finding/vetting...and affect the race?

This guys in it for his own gain only - he knows he can’t win...but he’s gaining something, you can be sure.

minor parties historically have (check out other countries if you don’t believe me) done nothing other than create havoc and split governments of a liberal bent.

the one time in our own history where the whigs were thrown off and the republicans became a major party is an exception that under scores the above. the bullmoose party went nowhere. pick you poison but the facts are the facts.

if you decide that this country is of no importance to you then of course you will not care if O is reelected or not. I on the other hand find it imperative to do everything I can to make sure he is defeated. Our country’s future depends upon it

In another time I could support a Gary Johnson, but this is a time to unite against an enemy of the Republic. The mass of power is with the two major parties, one of which will ruin us with another consecutive term, the other not so quickly.

"If you don't vote for what you want you'll never get it" is a slogan (of the greens, ironically) that I SO HOPE we can apply someday and truly ADVANCE LIBERTY but there is just no path to a good outcome from casting our lot with anyone other than R & R at this time. Saving it for a time when it will count.

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